Working Together
by cejuto
Summary: Xover with NCIS but not neccessary to know that show. Michael leads a team at NCIS but when his nephew is framed for the murders of his parents Micheal investigates the Company and somehow finds himself working with his estranged family. Misa! Please R
1. Chapter 1

L.J. walked into the sunlight for the first time in three weeks. Leaning against a concrete pillar at the bus station he started thinking.  
L.J. wasn't stupid; he knew he was being used by these government people to trap his father and grandfather. It was funny because he hadn't seen his Dad in almost ten years and had never met his grandfather. L.J. scanned the area he could see the agents keeping an eye on him down the street not even bothering to hide.  
L.J. shook his head. He desperately hoped his father wasn't stupid enough to fall for this, even though he wanted to see the only family he had left. He had a long lost uncle who had gone through the system so much that they completely lost touch, (the huge arguments between his father and uncle about his father's drinking and drugs didn't help either, something that had gotten much worse before he disappeared altogether when L.J. was just six years old.) He just wanted some sense of normalty.  
A car horn honked down the street bringing L.J. back to reality. He wanted to run but with no money or identification he couldn't; they had made sure of that. All he could do was wait for someone to come for him.

Aldo watched his son with concern, Lincoln's eyes were dark with rage and it didn't take a genius to figure out why. Aldo's hands shook whenever he thought about what his grandson had been through, what he had put his grandson through.  
At least Michael wasn't involved as far as they knew which, granted, wasn't much. All they could find out was that after Michael and Lincoln lost touch (as an old friend told Linc) Michael had changed his name and moved out of Illinois. Aldo had a team trying to find him but they had come up empty handed, which was a relief in a way, if they couldn't find him then the company probably couldn't either. But he couldn't help wanting to know that his youngest son was safe and sound.  
Aldo looked over to Lincoln and sighed as he continued driving towards L.J..

Michael looked through the window at his target then looked towards the other agents doing the same thing. He sighed; he was going to have to be very careful with how he played this. Michael already had to tiptoe around Jenny; she hadn't wanted him to do this himself but had understood this was for the best.  
He casually got out of the car and approached an entrance at the opposite side of the building to the target,his military background making him aware of everything around him, his Low Latent Inhibition taking in every detail. He circled the building and approached the target from behind...

L.J. casually leaned against the pillar in the bus station watching the scene play out in front of him. He recognized Agent Mahone in one of the cars, he seemed to be arguing with another agent slightly obscured. L.J. then noticed most of the agents were watching the road and weren't paying him the slightest bit of attention.  
L.J. jumped as someone tapped him on the shoulder, he turned to find a man probably in his mid twenties with the most intense blue eyes L.J. had ever seen. L.J. couldn't help but 

think there was something familiar about this man even though he was sure he had never met him before. The man smiled and handed L.J. a backpack, "Hello L.J.", he said, "You will find some bus tickets, plane tickets to DC, cash and some clothes in there. I'll be there to meet you when you get off the plane," and then he turned to walk away.

"Wait, who are you?" L.J. asked in utter confusion.

"Oh I'm sorry," the man replied,"I'm your Uncle Mike." He smiled at L.J. and then walked away.

Michael smiled fondly as his wife put her food tray on the table. His boss's private plane had landed half an hour before and Michael was glad to be home. He and his boss had decided that L.J. might feel more at ease living with him and his pregnant wife.  
Michael looked up as L.J.'s flight blinked its arrival, He stood and his wife went to stand as well still stuffing food in her mouth. Michael grinned, "Stay here sweetheart," he said. "I'm sure L.J. would appreciate some food." She nodded.

"Will it be safe for him though?" she asked.

"Safe enough I think," Michael replied nodding to a couple of agents at a nearby table. His wife recognised them as agents that worked with her husband, nodded, and sat back down to attack her food. Michael, who never missed a chance to share his affection, kissed her forehead as he went past.  
Michael got to the gate just as the first passengers from L.J.'s flight started to come through, he scanned the passengers as they came past, most seemed harmless but Michael knew better than anyone that looks could be deceiving. Luckily, they were prepared for almost any eventuality. He finally spotted L.J. near the back of a group of passengers and breathed a sigh of relief. L.J. looked about wearily before coming over to him, his eyes afire with curiosity.

"Good flight?" Michael asked. L.J. nodded but didn't say anything. "Come with me," Michael said, "you can meet your aunt and have some food if your aunt hasn't eaten everything by now!" L.J. gave him a strange look but followed him nonetheless.  
They walked into a restaurant in the middle of the airport and straight over to a redhead still busy eating. She finally looked up to see Michael raising one eyebrow at her. She saw behind him a teenage boy, man, she corrected herself immediately because for all he had been through he couldn't be called a boy anymore. She stood up as Michael introduced her "L.J. this is your Aunt Sara, Sara this is L.J.". Sara could see the uncertainty in L.J.'s eyes and then smiled as he held out his hand for her to shake. Even with what he had been through his manners were impeccable. Sara took his hand and then pulled him in for a hug, his shoulders stiffened and then he was returning her hug mindful of her belly in between them. Michael and Sara smiled at each other over L.J.'s head before L.J. pulled back and smiled at her. "Thank you Aunt Sara," he said finding his voice at last.


	2. Chapter 2

LJ whistled, impressed at by his uncle's silver Audi as they got climbed in. After a meal where during which they had agreed to postpone the inevitable talk until they got home, LJ had asked about the pregnancy. He smiled as both adults became very animated, obviously both extremely excited about the new addition to their lives. LJ couldn't help but think the trust he had in both of them was well placed (even though he knew next to nothing about either of them).  
Michael took a longer route home than normal, taking care to ensure that the only person following them was one of his own agents, he passed another waiting at a certain predetermined intersection. When finally they pulled into a long driveway.  
LJ's eyes widened as he saw the huge house for the first time. Michael smiled at LJ as they got out of the car, "We moved in six weeks ago, you will be our first guest," he said.

"How long am I staying?" LJ asked.

"As your only known relative that's alive and safe I can have custody of you for as long as you're happy and want to be here,. I won't turn you out for to the wolves LJ", Michael replied. "How about we go and sit down and talk about what's next?" He continued.  
Ten minutes later they were all settling in the living room with cold drinks. Sara was on one end of the sofa and Michael was on the other end with Sara's feet on his lap., LJ sat in a comfy armchair next to Michael. "Alright, lets start with whatever you know about me LJ,?" Michael stated amicably.

LJ smiled. "not much," he answered. "I know that you are my dad's younger brother and you and dad had a major falling out when I was like six months old and neither of you managed to keep in touch after that."

Michael smiled, his eyes full of regret, "I'm sorry about that, Linc was on this big downward spiral and I just couldn't watch anymore"

LJj nodded, "I can understand that.".

Michael took a deep breath "Alright let's start from there.".

Over the next hour Michael explained how he went through another half a dozen foster homes before going to live with Henry and Judy Pope, who after recognizing Michael's intelligence and kind heart found him a good private high school where he excelled and when college came up Michael had a number of options which the Popes were willing to pay for, but Michael decided he wanted to make his own way and joined the Naval Academy., Where after a little while he started to really excel there as well. Michael finished near the top of the his class and then started to pursue a career in criminal intelligence which had led him to where he is was now.

Even after all the years and distance between them, Michael had always kept a distant eye on his brother's family which is why he was had been more surprised than anybody when his nephew was suddenly charged with Lisa and Adrian's murder. The more he looked into the case, the more the inconsistencies stood out. Abandoning all remaining neutrality he took the case to his boss, who responded by assigning a team look into it but kicking Michael off the case. The team had no jurisdiction whatsoever and had to be very careful but they had concluded that LJ had been framed by a group of people calling themselves the Company. Why they had targeted LJ had not been figured out yet, but they had on their payroll important people in high places and so the case against them had to be gathered carefully and precisely.  
LJj sat absorbed listening to Michael's story, when he finished LjJ asked "So what happens now?"

Michael yawned "My boss, Jenny, is coming here to talk to you sometime today."

Sara took her feet down from Michael's lap where he had been giving her a foot rub. "In the meantime I can show you up to your room so you can settle in while Michael makes us some food," she said.

"Hungry already, Sara" Michael teased.

"Always" she replied.


	3. Chapter 3

Lincoln slammed his fist into the door, "where is he?" he exclaimed angrily.

Jane sat at the computer talking to various contacts unconcerned as the two Burrows men stalking around her. Finally she turned to them, "Apparently he disappeared before the Company's eyes, they are looking for him as well" she said. "Big help" Lincoln snarled.

Aldo however looked curious as well as concerned, "So there is another party involved now?" Aldo asked Jane who nodded "We have been getting hints of that already" she reminded Aldo.

"Is there any trace of LJ at all?" Lincoln asked finally starting to calm down. "There may be something, someone thinks they saw him get on a plane to DC, the description matches and he was carrying a backpack he had picked up somewhere." "Get onto our contacts there then" Aldo said stating the obvious. Jane nodded and got back to work.

Michael knocked on LJ's door, "Come in" Lj called.

Michael pushed open the door, "all settled?" he asked.

LJ nodded "as well as I can be for now, Aunt Sara said she would take me shopping tomorrow."

Michael nodded "Good, would you like to come downstairs then? My boss has just arrived and she would like to talk to you." LJ nodded and they went downstairs together. Michael stopped at the doorway just as another redhead came through the front door and hugged Sara and then they both immediately began chatting about the baby.

"Getting clucky Director?" Michael asked coming forward with LJ, "lets just say I admire a woman that can go through a pregnancy because I certainly can't" The woman laughed in reply.

LJ smiled as Michael introduced them, "LJ this is my boss Jenny Shepherd, Director this is my nephew LJ Burrows." They shook hands as Michael peered out the front door "Who have you brought with you?" he asked her.

"The three agents we agreed on and McGee." At the mention of McGee's name Michael's head snapped back towards her, "Tony and Ziva are keeping an eye on any incoming flights to DC" Jenny explained, "I thought McGee would be more useful here." Michael nodded and waited for McGee to come in before shutting the door behind them and leading them towards the living room.

"Alright" Jenny took a deep breath once everyone was settled and Agent McGee had set up the recording equipment, "I know this is going to be difficult LJ, but we would like to know exactly what happened in Chicago, any details you can give us may help even more to bring them down." Jenny said.

LJ nodded he had known this moment would come and was glad to finally have the chance to tell his story properly. He took a deep breath and when he felt Sara's arm around his shoulders he began to speak.

The agents and Sara listened closely as LJ told of how he had gone with his mother and stepfather to a cabin in the woods like every year, and then two men with guns had come to the door asking for LJ, how his stepfather had realized they were serious and tried to stop them, how they had laughed as they shot his stepfather, how his mother screamed at LJ to run as she was cut down and then LJ ran into the woods where the cops found him hours later and slapped handcuffs on him straight away.

LJ was then interrogated for hours as the feds tried to get him to admit to murders he didn't commit and then he spent three weeks in jail without a trial or even a hearing before suddenly being let out this morning for no apparent reason.

The room was silent for a moment before Jenny asked "Did you ever hear any mention of something called the Company?"  
LJ nodded "This morning I heard some agents mention something about it but I didn't catch much" LJ frowned "I did ask why I was being released and they just said they hoped my Dad and grandfather loved me enough to come and get me, it sounds like they did something to really piss these bastards off," LJ grinned, "I hope it was good."

Michael frowned "you said Grandfather, did you mean mine and Lincoln's father?" he asked.

"I guess so" LJ shrugged.

"What do you know about him?" Jenny asked Michael, "Nothing" Michael replied "Apart from his name he left before I was born, apparently I'm a bit overdue some research on him."

Sara looked at LJ, "Dinner is about an hour away, why don't you go have a shower we can talk more after dinner."

"Ok" LJ got up and headed upstairs.

"When did you last have contact with your brother?" Jenny asked Michael

"When I was fourteen, LJ was just eighteen months old, Linc was not doing well in those days." Michael replied.

"People can change" McGee offered as he packed up the recording equipment. "They can" Michael agreed "But it would take an almighty kick up the ass for Lincoln to change."

"Excuse me" They all turned back to LJ standing in the doorway. "I just remembered something; can you access my email safely?"

They all looked curious, "Why do you want to do that?" Michael finally asked,

"Because I took a photo of one of the guys that killed my mom, I'm not sure how good the photo is though." LJ answered.

Michael smiled "You have a good head on your shoulders LJ, Let's have a look, I'm sure Abby can make the photo a bit clearer if we need to."

"Not your case Michael" Jenny reminded him but she was smiling.

Five minutes later they were all smiling as the photo came up. "That is him" LJ stated.

Michael grinned the picture was as clear as day "LJ you are brilliant" he said putting an arm around LJ's shoulders and ruffling his hair affectionately.

I know it is ages since I started this but let me know if you want me to keep going, I know a couple of people have put this story on story alerts but let me know what you like and don't like!


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